National Guard flies in supplies as Illinois death toll hits 462
CHICAGO - McCormick Place is being used as an alternate care facility and it’s about to get a boost of medical supplies, thanks to the Illinois Air National Guard.
This is falling on the same day we are seeing our state leaders announce the biggest numbers to date.
“These are our highest numbers to date and although the numbers are still increasing,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois Department of Public Health Director. “I will tell you that the rate at which they're increasing is less, and that is a good sign.”
The number of cases increased by more than 1,500 and another 82 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours.
But the state health director says there’s reason to be hopeful in the lack of a sharp increase in cases.
“We're with guarded optimism we're hoping that we're getting close to either the peak or the plateau,” said Dr. Ezike.
The governor is encouraged by this news but upset at the lack of testing.
“The buck stops with me,” said Gov. Pritzker. “And we are still not where we need to be on the testing front.”
He says he promised 10 days ago that 10,000 people would be tested a day by this time, but that number is closer to 6,000.
The governor says part of the problem is several automated testing machines have not lived up to expectations and haven't always been accurate.
“I am as impatient as the rest of you are wanting to increase testing, but I will not sacrifice accuracy for the sake of speed,” said Gov. Pritzker.
Tonight vital medical resources are being flown to Chicago. Aboard C-130 military planes are 250 negative pressurized tents from Eugene, Oregon.
One Illinois Air National Guard pilot spoke to the Peoria Journal Star before the federally funded flight to Oregon.
"We really enjoy and work to this to actually do missions of this nature helping the military as well as the civilian population you represent,” said Lt. Col. Eric Dolan.
Next week, the governor says McCormick Place should be fully staffed and ready to go.